A heterogeneous system is one which involves high-performance, low latency multi-processors having an interconnect technology for specialized servers, such as the Unisys ClearPath NX Server. It provides a somewhat efficient means for system software in the Master Control Program (MCP) operating system and in the Windows environment, so that they may communicate with each other.
In these systems, utilization is made of a database operations center, which performs administrative functions for an enterprise database server, standard edition utilities, and also retains an enterprise database server standard edition utility command line for optional use. Further, it supports an enterprise database server, extended edition with utility-related enhancements, and provides for the utilization of Windows 98, Me, NT 4.0, or Windows 2000 compatible client platforms.
The Database Operations Center software belongs to each client-user and the software is modified extensively at each release version in order to add new features or to fix certain errors or “bugs”. The client-users' computers also have server software that has its own release version levels. Further, it should be noted that the database at the mainframe could have in existence various system release version levels. This led to many types of incompatibilities, which would stop, or hang-up system operations.
It therefore became a problem that these delays or hang-ups required a certain level of synchronization between the version levels of the client user software, with the version levels in the mainframe server software. Further, it was necessary that there be a compatibility with the version levels of data in the databases. When this was not done, there would be extensive delays or complete software failures.
There are several prior art references, which have some applicability to the handling of database versions and program versions. These references are briefly discussed hereinunder.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,073,141 involves a system and method for synchronizing local versions of a database. A computer system is used for providing a current set of records to a plurality of users. The system provides a mechanism that indicates which records have been updated since a predetermined period of time. Also included is a retrieving device responsive to an indicating mechanism that retrieves one or more of the updated fields from the master database and provides those fields to one or more of the associated terminals. An updating device associated with one or more of the terminals is provided for updating each of the subsets on each of the terminals with the updated fields provided by the retrieving device. Quite contrarily, the present invention is not involved with the synchronization of updated records across different systems, but rather has to do with providing version level compatibility across heterogeneous systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,778,388 involves a method of processing a synchronization point in a database management system to assure a database version is using updated logs from accumulated transactions. In this operation, a list of updated page control tables is used to create in the database, the pages which are indicated in a prepared list. For a transaction accessing the pertinent updated page prior to the write operation thereof in the database, the data write operation is performed before the page is referenced, thereby enabling the access to be performed to the database without interrupting the transaction. Again, the present invention is not about synchronization of database records, but about compatibility of version levels for data management software.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,366 involves systems and method for automatic application version upgrading and maintenance. This relates to methods and systems for maintaining application programs on a client computer in a client-server network environment. The task of dynamically upgrading components in the application program running on the client is simplified by rendering control to the individual client, rather than to a central server. Procedures are provided to ensure speedy and error-free transfer of the required files and components through an open network environment, such as the Internet. Quite differently, the present invention involves the requesting by the user to run the highest version of software on the server. Also, in the present disclosure there is no need to update the program on the clients. In the cited reference, U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,366, if a client application is a higher version than the server, which is using a new function, then the server program will terminate abnormally in this situation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,735 involves an object-oriented system for a programmed version and history database in a management system for various program components. A distributed program history database system is designed for use on a client-server network. The system consists of a plurality of program history servers, which maintain version information for various program components. A program developer, upon logging into a client terminal on the network, establishes a workspace or project and connects with one of the history servers. After connection to the history server has been made, a draft of the program configuration is retrieved from the server. The configuration draft may include information for constructing some of the program components and to “bridge” information identifying other program history servers where additional program components are located. A workspace uses the component information to assemble components, and the bridge information is used to connect to other servers and retrieve the remaining components in order to assemble the complete source code for a program in the workspace. Again, this system has to do with developing applications, while on the other hand the present invention is involved with the subject of version level compatibility across heterogeneous systems.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,754 involves a system for user control of version/synchronization in a mobile computing environment. A universal system is provided for synchronizing servers, which accommodates wide area mobile computing, while at the same time making the process more efficient. This system includes a network of primary servers with high performance reliable links making up the backbone of the synchronization process to which secondary servers are linked via typically less-reliable links. This system automatically switches between whole object synchronization and differential synchronization, and permits synchronization between different systems because the semantics of the data is segregated from the synchronization due to extracting updates in a standard format and accomplishing synchronization based on a standard protocol. The present invention does not involve the subject of letting users operate to control the version or the synchronization of data. The present invention has to do with version level compatibility across heterogeneous systems.
The present system and method is useful for example, with the Unisys Corporation Data Management System II (DMSII) users, so that they are capable of accessing all databases having different and various versions. A Database Operations Center is available so that it can automatically detect the version mismatch that occurs and then return an error signal. Thus, the system can identify and communicate with the version levels of components across heterogeneous system and eliminate any of the mismatched versions. Thus, in communications between a client and the mainframe server, the mainframe server will send its own version level which can be checked by the client with the clients' version level to see whether this will be a proper connection which is workable, or if not, the connection is dropped. Further, the client can request information about the type of databases available in the server and the server reads its control file of the databases to get the proper version levels that can be communicated to the client. Here, the client can mark any database that has a higher version level than that of the mainframe server and denote it as not being useable.